December's warm weather continues to re-write weather history across southwestern Saskatchewan. 

Yesterday five communities in Saskatchewan broke their all-time heat record for December 20, all located in the southwest.

Maple Creek's 14.7 C was the warmest downing a 1954 record of 13.3 C. Assiniboia hit 11.8 C besting its 8.3 C mark set in 1979. Swift Current reached 11.3 C breaking its long-standing 1941 record at 8.9 C. Lucky Lake peaked at 9.9 C ousting its 6.8 C record from 2003 and Rockglen warmed up to 9.3 C beating a mark of 6.0 from 2020.

Environment and Climate Change Canada Meteorologist Terri Lang chalked the record-breaking heat up to a continuation of a strong El Niño.

"A few of us have lived through these strong El Niño patterns before, so certainly some of the records falling are significant," she said. "The lack of snow is the other thing that is alarming as well."

This is the second December daytime high record to fall this month in Swift Current. The city is also well on its way to registering the warmest 12th month ever currently averaging a temperature at -0.7 C well above 1939's record of -2.2 C.

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